Set in mid-90s New York City, “A Thousand and One” dives into the life and struggles of Inez (Teyana Taylor), a Black woman from Harlem who kidnaps her 6-year-old son, Terry (Josiah Cross, Aaron Kingsley and Aven Courtney), from the foster care system. As the two grow up together in an everchanging NYC, the mother-son duo reclaims their identity and their sense of home.
“A Thousand and One” highlights several societal issues, including racially-motivated policies like stop-and-frisk, zoning laws, gentrification, and the country’s botched foster care system, while hitting on the heartwarming themes of family and community.
The film, which took home the U.S.